Automatic fire extinguisher



` R. DE O. JOHNSON AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHER April s 1924. y 1,489,703

Filed oct. 29.. 1921 l Y J7 7L L llillllllll lin!! werzor: f Renoe. 0. Tomofg Patented Apr. S, 1924.

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T E S Lessa PATENT OFFICE.

RENO DE ORVEILLE JOHNSON, OF PALMYRA, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGrNOROE1 ONE-FOURTH TO JOSEPH Gr. SEEL AND ONE-FOURTII TO ALVAN E. SWAIN, BOTH 0F PALMYRA,

NEW JERSEY.

AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHER.

Application filed October 29, 1921. Serial No. 511,437.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, RENO DE ORVEILLE JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Palmyra., in the county f Burlington, State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Automatic Fire Extin* guisher, of'which the following is a speci fication.

My invention relates to fire extinguishers,

which are especially adapted for use with automobiles. The object is to provide a simple and inexpensive device that will act automatically under the influence of heat and flame, to extinguish the flame that causes its action. The object is also to produce a device that will be safe and efficient.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate merely by way of example, a suitable embodiment ofl my invention Fig. 1 is a section showing my device ready for action.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, 'after the keeper has been melted and the. fuse projected, as into the flame area.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the same.

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective on a reduced scale, showing the device mounted in a suitable holder.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The container for thel lire extinguishing powder comprises the cylinder 6, and the end pieces or caps 7 and 8. These elements may be made of paper fibre or similar materia-l suitably coated to render them moisture proof. The end piece 7 is provided with the opening 9 for the introduction of the powder or other fire extinguishing material 10 into the receptacle. This opening S) is then closed by the covering piece 11, glued or otherwise securely secured to the end piece 7. The end piece 8 is also provided with a centra-l opening for receiving the flanged cylindrical member 12 having the fiange 13 and the mortised recess 14. A cylinder or cartridge 15 is fitted into member 12 and projects centrally well into the body of the cylinder 6. The cartridge has at its innermost end a small charge of explosive, such for example gun powder, as at 16, secured in place between the plug 17 and the closing cap 18. The plug 17 is provided with a channel 19 exouter end of the cartridge. A helical spring 22 is seated in the space 23 formed between the cartridge 15 and an offset portion of the member 12. The outer end of spring 22 is connected to the outer end of fuse 20. The spring 22 is normally maintained compressed by a keeper 24. This keeper 24 is inserted through the notches 25 and then turned in the mortised opening 14 into the position as shown in Fig. 4. i This keeper is made of a. suitable material such as an alloy of metal having a fusing or melting point suitably high safely toy resist a tempera-ture considerably above the normal temperatures of the spaces in which the device is mounted but sufficiently low to melt when an abnormal temperature occ-urs in said space due to a fire.

The device is mounted in any suitable frame or bracket such as the frame comprising the two loops or rings 26 secured to the arm or extension 27. The arm 27 is bolted or otherwise secured to a partof the frame work of the. case beneath the hood. These rings 26, which are preferably of spring metal, have the reverse bends 28 which upon pressure cause a slight expanding of the rings to admit the enlarged ends or caps 7 and 8, whereupon when said pressure is released the rings contract and hold the receptacle, formed by cylinder 6 and end pieces 7 and 8, as clearly shown in Fig. 5.

In operation:

Then the device is suitably positioned on the car preferably near the engine and carbureter and beneath theI hood, it may be carried without injury as long as normal conditions are maintained. When however a fire occurs in the space approximate said device the keeper 24 is melted, the spring 22 is released and the fuse 20 is extended by the spring, across a very extended area affected by the flame. Obviously the fuse coming into Contact with the fiame. becomes ignited and burns until it has ignited the explosive charge 16. This results in an explosion which causes a bursting of the cylinder 6 and an effective distribution of the extinguishing substance l0, throughout the flaming area. and thus smothers and extinguishes the fire. In order to assure an even dis-integration of the cylinder 6, I prefer to provide the cylinder Walls With a plurality of evenly disposed staggered slits 29 as shown in Fig, 2. A thin stripvor coating of impervious material is applied to the inner or outer Wall of the cylinder,- to prevent the passage of the material or of air or moisture through the slits 29.

It will be understood that the device may be placed in any desired space Where a. ire may occur and it may be so positioned, with respect to the direction of its axis as to project the fuse in the direction. in Which the hottest or lirst flame is likely to occur, or two 0r more such devices may be placed to be afl'ected vby a flame in a given area and to project their fuses in different directions. It will also be understood that the charge ot explosive necessary to burst the container and distribute'the extinguishing substance over the required area, need be very small, and therefore there is no danger Whatever attending such explosion.

All of the elements except the keeper and bracket may be made of paperv and other fibrous substances and at very small expense, so that the cost of installing and maintaining this very eiicient automat-io protection against fire is almost negligible or at least out of all proportion to the value of the protection secured.

Wha-t I claim is l. The combination 0i. a container, a charge of fire extinguishing substance in the container, an explosive charge also Within the container, a fuse in communication With the explosive and folded in proximity to said charges, a spring connected to the fuse and normally held under compressio-n by a fusible keeper, adapted upon release by the keeper to project the fuse in any given direction.

2. The combination of a container, a charge of fire extinguishing substance in the container, an explosive charge also Within the container, a fuse in communication with the explosive and folded Within the container, a spring connected to the fuse and normally held under compression by a. fusible keeper, adapted upon release by the keeper to project the fuse in any given direction.

3. The combination of a container, provided with a plurality of slits spaced apart throughout its peripheral Wall, and covered With a coating of Water proof material, a charge of re extinguishing substance in the container, an explosive charge also Within the container, a fuse in communication with the explosive and normally confined Within the container by a fusible keeper,A and resilient means for projecting the fuse from the container upon release by the kee er.

EiRENO DE ORVEILLE JOHNSON. 

